2020 was probably the year of the TWS earbuds. Almost every known smartphone manufacturer released at least one TWS earbuds this year, be it Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, or even OnePlus. And as usual, we got a bunch of premium earbuds from dedicated audio brands too like the new Sennheiser Momentum 2 and the Bose QuietComfort TWS. Overall, we were spoiled for choices in 2020 which made it harder to compile a list of the Best TWS Earbuds released in 2020.
But what you see below are the ones we think stood out for their sound quality and value for money.
Best TWS Earbuds of 2020
1Best Value (Android): Samsung Galaxy Buds+
If you are looking for the best non-ANC TWS earbuds with good connectivity, excellent sound quality, comfortable fit, and a good looking design, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ fits the bill. These AKG tuned earbuds come with a new dual-driver system for clear audio reproduction. Despite its compact form factor, the Buds+ also boasts of excellent call quality, thanks to the three microphones, of which two are situated outside.
But the biggest selling point of the Buds+ is its exceptional battery life. You get over 11 hours of music playback on these earbuds, which is way above average for a pair of TWS earbuds. It doesn’t support the aptX codec but comes with support for Samsung’s proprietary Scalable codec.
The Galaxy Buds+ are usually available for sale for under $110 (under Rs. 9000 in India) which is a steal for the sound quality and features it offers. There are a bunch of color options available too.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| +11 hour battery life | - No ANC |
| +Comfortable Fit | - No aptX |
| +Dual driver system | - only IPX2 protection |
| +Compact form factor | |
| +Qi Wireless Charging |
2Best Value ANC TWS Earbuds (Android): Huawei Freebuds Pro
If ANC is important to you, Huawei’s TWS earbuds — the Huawei Freebuds Pro offers excellent ANC and sound quality. The earbuds stands out from the crowd which is filled with AirPods Pro’s lookalikes. The shiny Silver Frost color option is particularly unique.
The Freebuds Pro comes with 11mm drivers with excellent ANC and balanced sound quality. In fact, in our review, we found out that it was one of the best sounding earbuds in its price segment. The Huawei earbuds also offer a comfortable fit and a good microphone setup for voice calls.
The battery life with ANC is average at around 4 hours but you should get way more (around 7 hours) without ANC turned on. Also, the provided case will add 15 hours more to your listening time.
The Huawei Freebuds Pro is often cheaper than its launch price and currently can be bought for around £128.35 (around $180) making it a solid ANC TWS option at this price.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| +Good ANC | - No aptX |
| +Comfortable Fit | - Water Resistant but NO IP Rating |
| +Good Sound quality | - Limited iOS support |
| +Unique design | |
| +Qi Wireless Charging |
Honorable Mention:
The Jabra Elite Active 75t is also a decent option with ANC around this price tag especially if you want something for workouts that has good sound quality with ANC noise isolation.
3Best Unique Earbuds: Galaxy Buds Live
Most 2020 earbuds either come with a compact Galaxy Buds-like design or Apple Airpods Pro-like design with a stem. But what if you want something that’s so uniquely designed that people will have a hard time realizing you are actually wearing a pair of TWS earbuds?
The Buds Live comes in a shiny metallic finish in a bunch of fancy colors like Blue, Red, and Bronze. It’s an open-ear TWS earbud (usually rare in this product category) which can be its plus point as I personally know some users who hate the traditional in-ear design. It sounds pretty good even though the design doesn’t guarantee good isolation and what’s more, Samsung has also added ANC which works to a pretty decent extent.
Other highlight features of the Buds Live include good and comfortable fit, Qi Wireless Charging, 6 hours of battery life, and a pretty decent set of microphones for voice calls.
The Galaxy Buds Live like the Buds+ can be usually found at discounted prices for under $150.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| +Unique & Stylish Design | -Poor Noise Isolation |
| +Comfortable Fit | -No aptX (has Scalable code) |
| +Qi Wireless Charging | -only IPX2 protection |
| +Decent Sound | |
4Best Overall: Sennheiser Momentum 2
The Sennheiser Momentum TWS 2 is the Best TWS earbuds in the market right now. Building upon the pros of the first-generation model, the new TWS earbuds comes with a fancy fabric covered case, best in class sound quality, and excellent ANC to offer the best TWS earbuds experience in 2020.
The Momentum TWS 2 has a very comfortable fit, comes with aptX support, and is rated IPX4. You get these features at a premium though as it’s very expensive. However, you’ll often find a few dollars off on these, so make sure to keep an eye out for good deals if you are out to get a pair.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| +Best in Class Sound Quality | -Expensive |
| +Excellent ANC | |
| +aptX codec | |
| +Comfortable Fit | |
| +IPX4 |
Alternative:
BOSE QuietComfort TWS
Bose’s first pair of noise-canceling earbuds deserves more than an honorable mention. The Bose QuietComfort TWS is often touted as the Best ANC earbuds in the market right now. It has a fancier bulkier design than the Sennheiser pair and sounds exceptional. The only major con is its average battery life and a chunky companion charging case.
5Best Budget TWS: OPPO Enco W11
Budget TWS earbuds are a hard sell mainly because you’ll often get better sound quality on non-TWS models. However, if you want the convenience and comfort of TWS earbuds at an extremely budget price, then you probably are looking for the OPPO Enco W11. Two of our writers on GizmoChina already have a pair of these earbuds and considering its pricing of under Rs. 2000 ($30), they sound pretty balanced with stable connectivity.
The OPPO Enco W11 triumphs the Realme and Redmi options in the budget TWS category by offering good mid-tones, sufficient bass, and a comfortable fit.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| +Balanced Sound Quality | -Average Battery Life |
| +Comfortable Fit | -No Wireless Charging |
| +Super Cheap | |
| +Stable Connectivity | |
Honorable Mentions:
If you can’t get hold of the OPPO W11, you can also check out the Earfun Free TWS which offers a wireless charging case, good sound quality in its price segment, a comfortable fit and retails for under $35.
Or if you have a slightly higher budget, you can go for the OPPO Enco W51 which comes with a premium stem design, has a good and balanced sound quality, decent ANC, and a good microphone system.
OnePlus Buds Z is another great value for money TWS earbuds in its price segment. It’s extremely comfortable to wear all day long, has good sound quality even if it’s a bit bass-heavy, and if you have a OnePlus smartphone, then it’s a solid option under $50.
6Best Open-Ear Type Earbuds: Apple AirPods
As I mentioned above, some users don’t like the in-ear fit of most TWS earbuds in the market and this category is specifically for them. While non-in-ear earbuds don’t sound as great as in-ear ones (thanks to the lack of effective noise isolation), there are still decent options available in the market, with the Apple AirPods being one of the best among them.
If you have an iPhone, there’s no doubt that the new AirPods will be the best companion for your phone with stable connectivity and decent sound quality.
But if you are on Android and don’t have a large budget, you have decent open-ear TWS options in the market like the OnePlus Buds (not the Z). While the sound quality is not out of the ordinary, it offers pretty decent bass and mid-tones for its design type, and are way cheaper than the AirPods.
So these were our picks for our Best TWS earbuds in 2020. Which is your favorite TWS earbuds from this year?
